Association between vitamin D and cardiovascular health: Myth or Fact? A narrative review of the evidence.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the link between vitamin D status and cardiovascular health, as well as the effects of vitamin D supplementation on preventing cardiovascular diseases.
Results Summary
Cross-sectional studies found associations between low vitamin D levels and cardiovascular conditions, but large interventional trials did not show benefits from supplementation in reducing ischemic events, heart failure, or hypertension. Some studies indicated potential benefits for insulin sensitivity and metabolic syndrome, but results were inconsistent.
Population
Elderly individuals, particularly women, and general populations with cardiovascular risk factors.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
vitamin D supplementation | no change | reducing ischemic events | - | no significant change | did not show any benefit | #1 |
vitamin D supplementation | no change | heart failure or its outcomes | - | no significant change | did not show any benefit | #2 |
vitamin D supplementation | no change | hypertension | - | no significant change | did not show any benefit | #3 |
vitamin D supplementation | increase | insulin sensitivity | - | - | showed beneficial effect | #4 |
vitamin D supplementation | decrease | metabolic syndrome | - | - | showed beneficial effect | #5 |
- | increase | acute coronary syndrome | - | - | found a strong association | #6 |
- | increase | heart failure | - | - | found a strong association | #7 |
Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent worldwide. Since the discovery of the expression of vitamin D receptor in ventricular cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, and blood vessels, there has been a growing body of literature assessing the link between vitamin D status and cardiovascular health from one side, and the effect of vitamin D supplementation on prevention of cardiovascular diseases from the other side. In this review, we summarized studies highlighting the role of vitamin D on cardiovascular health, namely atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure, and metabolic syndrome, a recognized significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Studies showed discrepancies between findings from cross-sectional and longitudinal cohorts and those from interventional trials, but also between one outcome and another. Cross-sectional studies found a strong association between low 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D3) and acute coronary syndrome, and heart failure. These findings encouraged the promotion for vitamin D supplementation as a preventive measure for cardiovascular diseases in the elderly, namely in women. This fact, however, turned out into a myth with the results of large interventional trials that did not show any benefit from vitamin D supplementation in reducing ischemic events, heart failure or its outcomes, or hypertension. Although some clinical studies showed beneficial effect of vitamin D supplementation on insulin sensitivity and metabolic syndrome, this effect was not consistent across all studies.